Avoid the winter blues

Slowing down, driving more carefully and steering into the skid are key winter driving skills, but they are just some of the steps to prepare for winter in colder climates. It's also a smart move to visit an auto supply store for accessories, supplies and equipment expressly designed to make winter driving safer and more enjoyable.

If areas with significant snowfall, any winterizing mission should begin with a tire check. All-season tires, marked on the sidewall with the "M+S" for mud and snow, are designed for well-plowed city and suburban roads. In areas with heavy snow and irregular snowplowing, snow tires that have large, deep tread blocks to provide the greatest traction over loose surfaces are strongly recommended.

Driving through snow, sleet and rain can wreak havoc on a motorist's ability to see clearly through the windshield. Pay special attention to a car's windshield wiper blades and fluid this time of year. Consider buying winter-grade wiper blades, which feature a special covering of rubber to help prevent ice and snow from building up across the blades and limiting their effectiveness. Team new wiper blades with a winter-grade windshield wiper fluid that does the job all the way down to 20 degrees below zero and beyond. Keep a jug of the stuff in the trunk for when the fluid reservoir runs low.

Ice scrapers and snow brushes are two indispensable tools no winter motorist should ever be without. Consider upgrading to the newer cordless heated scrapers or the corded ones that plug into a vehicle's 12-volt outlet and make ice removal easier. Add a small, old-fashioned broom for brushing snow off the vehicle.

Consider a custom-fit vinyl windshield cover that attaches to the car via suction cups, or fits through the windows to securely fasten inside. Just remove the cover, shake frost, ice and snow off, stow the cover and enjoy a clean windshield.

Ever hear the term "just spinning my wheels?" That's the kind of helpless feeling drivers experience that get stuck in a snowbound or muddy parking spot. What's needed is an extra helping of traction, which can be provided by carrying a supply of kitty litter or sand to throw under the drive wheels to improve their grip.

In rear-wheel-drive cars, two 50-pound bags of these materials - one at each side of the trunk - can improve wet-road traction. Experts also recommend carrying a small shovel to help extricate the tires from a particularly slippery situation.

A bitter cold snap or biting blizzard is no time to be locked out of a vehicle. Drivers distracted by the challenges of scraping snow off a car or pushing it out of a snow bank may easily end up locking the keys inside the car. Carry a spare key during the winter.

Locks can freeze during a snow or sleet storm, making entry difficult no matter how many keys you carry. Keep a can of Teflon lock spray handy.

Winter driving experts advise drivers to carry a cell phone on long wintry trips. But it's smarter yet to go one step beyond that by bringing along a 12-volt car-phone recharger so the phone won't run out of juice in an emergency. In areas prone toward particularly dangerous winter weather, some experts also recommend stowing a portable NOAA weather radio, which can help keep motorists abreast of fast-changing weather conditions down the road.

Of course, worse sometimes comes to worst and that's when having a winter survival kit packed in the trunk can prove to be a lifesaver. Among the items often featured in such a kit are a flashlight, spare batteries, one or more blankets, candle, matches, hazard markers or flares, whistle, hats and gloves, small bottles of water and energy or granola bars.

Finally, don't forget the most fundamental winter safety purchase of all: a full tank of gasoline. Most winter motoring authorities urge keeping the tank at least half full as much as possible and adding a gasoline antifreeze additive to every second tank to prevent gas-line freeze-up. Carrying a fuller tank will pay another dividend to rear-wheel-drive vehicles, by adding weight to the back end that helps maintain traction.